Google hit with €2.4bn fine by European Union over antitrust concerns

The commission said its decision is hinged on Google's "abuse of dominance as search engine by giving illegal advantage to own comparison shopping service".

In her announcement of the Google decision, European Union antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager stressed that dominant companies have special "responsibilities" not to hinder competition-in their own market or any other.

Google has been hit with a record fine of $2.7 billion after the European Commission found it violated antitrust regulations by manipulating search results.

As it "respectfully" disagrees with the EU's conclusions, Google will be considering an appeal and will continue to make its case.

The EU penalty, which came after more than seven years of investigations, threatens far-reaching ramifications not just for Google, but for the design of products and services from other increasingly dominant tech giants, the Journal noted. "That's a good thing", Vestager told reporters, as she announced the fine, the largest ever made in an antitrust case.

In addition to the fine, Google is required to give rival comparison shopping services equal treatment, and the company must explain how it will accomplish that.

Brazil president: corruption charge a 'fiction'
For months, he appeared immune to the corruption probes swirling around many of his allies and even a third of his cabinet. However, Temer's aides say they are confident he has sufficient support in Congress to get the charges thrown out.

Though Google has faced charges involving distorting internet results by the European Union competition authority in April 2015, it has not before faced fines for an abuse of this nature and marks a landmark for the way technology companies are regulated. It denied other companies the chance to compete on merit and to innovate. Google's own comparison shopping service is not subject to Google's generic search algorithms, including such demotions.

The company will review the decision and consider an appeal. Of graver concern is the way regulators called on Google to change the way it handles online shopping searches, one of its biggest sources of sales growth and strongest weapons against rivals Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Complainants also say the precedent should extend to technologies from other companies. By this measure, Google's fine could have been as much as $9 billion based on parent company Alphabet's 2016 turnover.

Google argued its data showed people preferred links taking them directly to products they want and not to websites where they have to repeat their search.

This action comes after 7 years of long investigation after scores of complaints were given to the EU Commission by Google's rivals such as Yelp, Foundem, NewsCorp, FairSearch and TripAdvisor.

When internet users search for a product online, Google often shows them a bunch of ads that seem to relate to the search.

RELATED NEWS

As Migration Surges, Italy Weighs Barring Some Rescue Boats
The record for migrants rescued on a single day stands at 7,000, plucked from their unseaworthy vessels on 29 August 2016. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that "we will help Italy" with the asylum-seeker crisis. 6/30/2017

Trump's Golf Clubs Hang Fake Time Magazine Covers Praising Him
However, it isn't clear yet whether or not The Trump Organization has followed TIME's request and removed the offending covers. A Time magazine cover of President Trump is being called a fake, and the magazine's editors say it's time for it to go. 6/30/2017

Role of DUP, new partner in United Kingdom government
Mundell said last week that any funding for Northern Ireland should adhere to rules about funding for Wales and Scotland too. Mr Jones said: "Today's deal represents a straight bung to keep a weak Prime Minister and a faltering Government in office". 6/30/2017

Girl's actions caused her to fall from NY park ride
The Sheriff's Office did not say what the girl was doing and how she ended up hanging from the ride in the first place. The police investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the fall is continuing. 6/28/2017

Cosby judge could revisit issue of revealing names of jurors
Following a series of complaints against him, he had to face three felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault . He remained stoic as the judge declared a mistrial , but his spokesman Andrew Wyatt declared the star's "power is back". 6/28/2017

President Donald Trump Meet up Narendra Modi
But Indian officials have downplayed those differences, insisting that Modi was alert to Trump's concerns over jobs and trade. Trump, who has made jobs his first priority, also noted pointedly India's shopping for a large consignment of Boeing jets. 6/28/2017

Four killed as gunman attacks San Francisco UPS facility
Police also reportedly blocked off streets surrounding the hospital and were diverting motorists away from the building. A UPS spokesman said several people were injured in the shooting at the facility and that the shooter was an employee. 6/28/2017